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# A History Of The Minimum Wage

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KFNoRaXc.m3u8" -->
## Video: A History Of The Minimum Wage

[Watch (HLS stream): A History Of The Minimum Wage](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KFNoRaXc.m3u8) (3:56)

![A History Of The Minimum Wage](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/KFNoRaXc/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2014-02-28. See who raised the minimum wage and when throughout history._


---

Jul 27, 2023 4:15 PM UTC

---

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---


## Transcript

>> In 1938, the very first federal minimum wage was set at $ 0. 25 cents an hour when Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act. The wage is not tied to the rate of inflation, so it only goes up through congressional action. Twenty- two times since 1938, Congress and the President have worked together to raise it. Here's a look at when the wages have gone up over time. Keep an eye on the number in blue, which shows you how much that amount would be worth in today's dollars. -[ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ] [ Music Playing ]

>> At its peak, the minimum wage in 1968 was worth $ 10. 75 in today's dollars, but the purchasing power that goes with it has not kept up. So, if you earn minimum wage in the 1960s, it was enough to fill up your basket with a week's groceries. But those earning minimum wage now would have to put some of those items back.

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